Naturally dyed ribbons
Here’s your sign to give your old bed linens a new life by transforming them into stunning, naturally dyed ribbons! Use food waste dyes like onion skins and avocado pits and peels to create gorgeous colors. Often referred to as “living colors,” natural dyes have a unique charm—they harmonize beautifully with one another, making them ideal for crafting ribbons.
What you’ll need:
Cotton or linen bedlinen (scoured & mordanted for more vibrant colors, optional) - soak for min 1h for even color uptake
Red & brown onion skins (2-3 handfuls each per dye bath, the more the stronger the dye bath)
Avocado pits & skins, fresh or frozen (I used the pits and skins of 4 avocados)
Pots (I use canning pots)
Bowl and strainer to strain dye baths
Tongs or spoons to handle fabric
Step 1a - Make the dye baths
For each dye bath, I used 2-3 big handfuls of onion skins and the pits and skins of 4 avocados to dye approximately one bed linen. You can adjust the quantity depending on how intense you want the colors to be.
Brown onion skins will dye orange / yellow
Red onion skins will dye khaki / olive
Avocado pit & skins will dye pink
Step 1b - Make the dye baths
Place the dye materials in a pot and add around 5 liters of water. Simmer for 1 hour, then strain the liquid into a bowl. Pour the strained dye bath back into the pot and add enough water to ensure your fabric can move freely.
Step 2 - Add your fabric
Gently place your pre-soaked fabric into the dye bath, allowing it to steep for several hours or, ideally, overnight. During the first hour, stir the fabric every 10 minutes to ensure even color absorption.
Pre-mordanted fabric will yield more vibrant colors compared to unmordanted fabric—I love the beautiful contrast this creates!
Step 3 - Remove from dye bath & dry
Take the fabric out of the dye bath, run it through a spin cycle in your washing machine, and hang it up to dry. This helps to "set" the colors in the fabric.
Step 4 - Wash
Wash your fabric with ph-neutral detergent such as wool and/or silk detergent at 30°C in your washing machine. Then hang to dry.
Step 5 - Tear into strips
Once your bed linen is dry, tear it into strips in your preferred width. I made a mix of thinner and thicker strips for added variety. Bed linens are usually easy to rip, but if needed, cut a small notch at the edge to get started—it’s such a satisfying process!
For a charming, "worn" look, you can pull out a few threads along the edges to create a soft fringe effect.
Step 6 - Wrap your gifts!
Now it’s time to wrap your gifts! We love reusing old packaging paper, decorating it with crayon designs to create unique wrapping paper. It pairs beautifully with the naturally dyed cotton ribbons!
If you’re interested in learning more about dyeing with kitchen waste, check out my “Natural Dyeing with Kitchen Waste” tutorial. It provides detailed instructions on pre-treatment steps and tips for achieving vibrant pinks using avocado pits and skins.
I hope you have an amazing time creating your own upcycled ribbons this Christmas!
